Different Brilliant Award 2025

Innovative Research in Design-related Bachelor & Master Theses

The 7th International Conference on Creative\Media/Technologies (IConCMT) will take place at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (UAS) from 25 to 27 November 2025 offering exchange in multiple research areas within the field of media & digital technologies.

Part of the conference is the program track Different Brilliant, which highlights and awards best-practices and innovative Bachelor and Master Theses, providing insights into applied and artistic research at the many intersections between media and design.

Different Brilliant features theses with design-related research approaches from Austria’s higher education institutions. Alongside traditional methods like surveys and expert interviews, students can explore new approaches or perspectives. Today, research in media, design and creation can be done using both empirical evidence and artistic practice. This newer approach incorporates and adapts methods from various domains. Different Brilliant serves as a showcase, inspiring students to learn and reflect on their own research methodologies.

Procedure

The best three theses will be presented in 15 minutes format to the public. All presentations will be in English. We welcome all students from Austrian universities and international partner universities*  to apply. We especially encourage submissions that include evidence-based results and thesis with focus on research methods.

Award

The winners will receive various rewards: a prize of 500 EUR (to be shared among the winners), the opportunity to attend the conference, including the conference dinner, and an auxiliary fee for train tickets and/or accommodation costs. 

Topics of interest

Submissions can explore various research methods in design, media design and creation. This may include using traditional or experimental approaches. The following topics serve as a guideline:

1. Theoretical-conceptual research
Develops new theories and deepens the understanding of design research.
•    Literature-Based Studies
•    Theory Development
•    Theory Transfer

2. Quantitative research
Involves statistical analysis and data-driven approaches to explore design phenomena.
•    Surveys
•    UX/UI Testing & Eye-Tracking
•    Data Analysis / Statistical Analysis

3. Qualitative research
Centers on in-depth exploration of design processes and experiences using smaller sample sizes.
•    Observations
•    Expert Interviews
•    Content Analysis/Grounded Theory

4. Applied research (Mixed methods)
Integrates practical design development with research to generate new knowledge through the design process.
•    Case Studies
•    Proof of Concept
•    Experiments / Testing design hypotheses
•    Research-Through-Design
•    Evidence-Based Design
•    Prototyping
•    Empirical Design

5. Experimental approaches
Utilizes creative and unconventional methods to explore innovative 
•    Arts-Based Research
•    Speculative design
•    Design Fiction
•    Cultural Probes

Eligible to submit 

•    students and graduates of Austrian universities / higher education institutions
•    as a graduate: you have completed your bachelor´s /master´s degree within 2 years

Template for submission

Submission guidelines

•    all submissions must include 3 separate pdf files: research paper (concise research description according to template), short biography (100 words) and the full BA or MA thesis – to be sent to different.brilliant@fhstp.ac.at
•    The three files together cannot exceed the size of 10Mb
•    the review process will be double-blind. Please do not include any information about the authors in the submitted paper. The reviewed version of the paper should be published in the conference proceedings.
•    Formatting details and guilelines for structuring the paper are described within the template.
•    Papers should written be preferably in English, but German is also accepted.
•    if AI is used in the research, it must be mentioned.

Important dates

Submission deadline: Sunday, August 24th 2025
Communication with three finalists: Friday, September 26th 2025
Presentation at the IConCMT: Wednesday, November 26th 2025 between 4:45pm and 6pm
Submission of the reviewed paper: Friday, February 20th 2026

Presentation details

•    A 15-minutes presentation in English
•    Online participation is not possible.
•    Nominated finalists will be provided with a detailed template to structure and set-up your presentation (including sections, timetable, examples).
•    Winners are named after the presentations and discussion with the audience.

Committees

Program committee
Graziele Lautenschlaeger
Rosa von Suess
Matthias Tratz

Organizing committee
Hanna Aicher
Yulia Belinskaya
Graziele Lautenschlaeger

Reviewers
Rosa von Suess
Matthias Tratz 
Vrääth Öhner 
Georg Vogt
Members of the aDNA (t.b.c.)

Venue
The conference IConCMT will be held in St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Campus-Platz 1, 3100 St. Pölten, Austria

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to different.brilliant@fhstp.ac.at 

*Aleksander Moisiu University Durres
Universidad Nacional de Lanús
Artesis Plantijn University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp
HOWEST University of Applied Sciences
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences- Ghent
Haute Ecole EPHEC
PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts
UCLL University of Applied Sciences,  Leuven-Limburg
Haute Ecole de Namur-Liège-Luxembourg (HENALLUX)
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Jianghan University, Wuhan
Hochschule Ansbach
Technische Hochschule Augsburg
Hochschule Bremen
SRH Hochschule Heidelberg
Hochschule Darmstadt
Fachhochschule Dortmund
Hochschule Düsseldorf
Hochschule Düsseldorf
Hochschule Furtwangen
Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg
Technische Universität Ilmenau
Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena
Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe
Fachhochschule Kiel
CBS International Business School
Technische Hochschule Köln
Hochschule Mittweida
Internationale Hochschule SDI München - University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule Osnabrück
Fachhochschule Stuttgart - Hochschule der Medien
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Würzburg
Westsächsische Hochschule
TalTech University
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
HYBRIA School of Business and Technologies & EKLYA School of Business
Ecole d’Ingénieurs en Génie des Systèmes Industriels (EIGSI)
Université de Montpellier
Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tarbes
Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France
University of West Attica
Glasgow Caledonian University
London Metropolitan University
Nottingham Trent University
Dublin Business School
Atlantic Technological University
Università degli Studi di Bari
Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Sapienza – Universitá di Roma
University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj
Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
Universidad de Guadalajara
Avans University of Applied Sciences
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Saxion University of Applied Sciences
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
Oslo Metropolitan University
Jagellonian-Universität
Wirtschaftsuniversität Krakau
Technische Universität Lodz
Technische Universität Warschau
Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology
Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Transilvania University of Brasov
National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest
Staatliche Linguistische Universität Pyatigorsk
Bonch Bruevich State University of Telecommunications, Sankt Petersburg
Södertörns Högskola
Fachhochschule Graubünden
Hochschule Luzern
Nanyang Technological University
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Universidad Politécnia de Cartagena
Universidad Europea de Canarias, La Orotava
Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Universidad de Salamanca
Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU
Universidad Europea de Valencia
Universitat Politècnica de Valencia
Universidad de Valladolid
Inha University
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Tomas Bata University
Kadir Has University
Izmir University of Economics
Budapest Metropolitan University
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Semmelweis University
University of Nyiregyháza
Cherkasy State Business College